Witnesses tell of the work they did as engineers at the "Sallahu" company

At the Basic Court of Pristina, this Tuesday, construction and road traffic engineers, Ilmi Fetaj and Lavdim Guri, gave their testimony before the trial panel, in the trial against the legal entity "SA Sallahu" sh.pk, Lulzim and Naim Sallahu, accused of "Misuse and fraud in public procurement" and "Forgery of documents".

In this case, Lulzim Sallahu in the capacity of owner and director of the legal entity "SA Sallahu" sh.pk and "SA Sallahu" sh.pk, with Lulzim Sallahu as 100% owner and shareholder, are being accused of "Misuse and fraud in public procurement", while the defendant Naim Sallahu is being accused of "Forgery of documents".

Initially, his testimony before the trial panel was given by witness Fetaj, who was heard in this process in his capacity as a construction engineer at the company "SA Sallahu" sh.pk.

When asked by the prosecutor in the case, Habibe Salihu, when witness Fetaj started working and in which projects he had participated, the witness responded by emphasizing that he has been part of the company "SA Sallahu" sh.pk since 2008 and that he has participated in almost all of this company's projects, according to the witness, to a greater or lesser extent. reports "Oath of Justice".

Prosecutor Salihu presented several listed references and asked witness Fetaj whether these references belonged to the witness and whether he had worked on these projects.

The witness responded by stating that references are the exclusive right of the company or the company owner, where each employee in some form runs after a reference, that is, to have a reference.

"In each project that is listed, I am part of that project. I may have been in some places more, in some places less, but I have been in each project and it is a big burden for me," the witness added.

Furthermore, Lavdim Guri, who was heard in his capacity as a road traffic engineer, also gave his testimony before the trial panel.

Witness Guri stated that sometime between 2010-2011 he collaborated with the company "SA Sallahu" sh.pk, until 2024. During this period, according to the witness, he had from time to time offered advice regarding road signaling.

"...from time to time I have provided professional advice to the company regarding road signage," he said.

Also, when asked by the member of the trial panel, Judge Valon Kurtaj, about all the documentation mentioned in the indictment, do you consider that these documentations and your name as an engineer have been used or misused in certain projects? The witness denied this, saying that he does not doubt this.

"I have never suspected or doubted that my documents were misused," he said.

Otherwise, the Special Prosecution Office of the Republic of Kosovo (SPRK), on November 3, 2023, filed an indictment against the legal entity-company "SA Sallahu" sh.pk and two natural persons: Lulzim Sallahu (100% shareholder of the company) and Naim Sallahu.

Defendant Lulzim Sallahu, in his capacity as owner and director of the legal entity "SA Sallahu" sh.pk and "SA Sallahu" sh.pk, with Lulzim Sallahu as 100% owner and shareholder, are being charged with "Misuse and fraud in public procurement", while defendant Naim Sallahu is being charged with "Forgery of documents".

The indictment states that the defendant Lulzim Sallahu and the defendant “SA Sallahu” sh.pk, with 100% owner and shareholder Lulzim Sallahu, on September 5, 2019 in Pristina, in the capacity of the owner of “SA Sallahu” sh.pk, upon application in public procurement procedures for the project “Reconstruction of the R115 Regional Road, Prizren-Prevalle Segment”, published by the Ministry of Infrastructure, knowingly, with the intent to defraud and with the intent to influence the decision of the Contracting Authority, so that his company “SA Sallahu” sh.pk, would be declared the winner of the contract for the project in question, had submitted documents with false content, such as: CVs and references in the name of NM, IF, BK, and LG

According to the indictment, these references were presented as evidence that the above-mentioned persons were part of the staff, respectively engaged as engineers of the company and that they had the necessary work experience required in the contract notice.

Meanwhile, the defendant Naim Sallahu in 2019, it is said that in order to enable his brother, the defendant Lulzim Sallahu, through the company "SA Sallahu" sh.pk, to meet the conditions of the Contracting Authority, namely the Ministry of Infrastructure, expressed in the notice of contract related to the project "Reconstruction of Regional Road R115, Segment Prizren-Prevalle", respectively whether the same was composed of of his staff engaged experienced engineers, had compiled and signed the references mentioned as in the provision I, with false content.